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Old-Script Transcription and Translation · Guide

How do I read and translate entries in a German church book?

German church books (Kirchenbücher) are usually split into baptisms, marriages and burials, and each entry follows a pattern the same pastor repeated for years. Learn the column headings and a short list of recurring words, then read the entry against a Kurrent letter chart, starting with the names you already know. Transcribe the German exactly before you translate it, because the spelling of names and places is your best clue for the next search.

How to work through a German church book entry

  1. Identify which register you have. Taufen or Getaufte are baptisms, Trauungen or Copulirte are marriages, and Beerdigungen, Begrabene or Gestorbene are burials and deaths. Some parishes kept all three in one book in date order.
  2. Read the printed or ruled headings. From the 19th century many books use printed columns, for example the child's name, the parents, the godparents (Taufzeugen or Paten) and remarks. The heading tells you what each block of handwriting should contain.
  3. Build an alphabet from one pastor. Each pastor wrote the same words in every entry. Read several entries on the same page and note how he writes geboren, getauft, Sohn, Tochter and the place names, then use those shapes on the entry you need.
  4. Expect Latin mixed in. Many Protestant and Catholic books mix German with Latin terms, dates and abbreviations. Treat any word that does not fit German as possibly Latin and check a Latin genealogy word list.
  5. Note abbreviations as written. Pastors abbreviated common words and used dto. or do. for ditto. Write the abbreviation as it appears and expand it in brackets, so you can see later what was actually written.
  6. Record the entry number and page. Write down the parish, register, year, page and entry number with your transcription. You will need them to cite the record and to find it again.

German words that recur in church books

When a done-for-you pack helps

A done-for-you transcription helps when a pastor's hand is rushed, the page is faded or water-damaged, or the entry mixes German and Latin. We transcribe the entry line by line in the original spelling, flag uncertain words, translate it into plain English and add notes on the record type, names, dates, places and occupations.

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No subscription and no extra fees. Delivered by email within 48 hours of your order. Covers one document of up to two pages, such as a register page, letter or certificate.
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Questions

Why are German church records so hard to read?

Most were written in Kurrent, a German handwriting style in which several letters look unlike their modern forms, by pastors writing quickly in iron-gall ink that has faded or bled. Spelling was not standardised, and many entries mix German with Latin. A letter chart and a word list solve most of it, but names and places stay hardest.

What is the difference between a church record and a civil record in Germany?

Church books were kept by parishes, often from the 16th or 17th century onward. Civil registers were kept by the Standesamt, which became mandatory across the German Empire on 1 January 1876 and in Prussia on 1 October 1874. Civil records use printed forms, which makes them easier to read, while church records are free text.

Can I translate just the names and dates and skip the rest?

You can, but the rest often holds useful leads: occupations, house numbers, the home village of a parent, whether a child was legitimate, and the godparents, who are often relatives. A remarks column can also note later events. Transcribing the full entry once saves going back to the image later.

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